SINGAPORE FOOD FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH FRAGRANT CURRIES AND SPICES

SINGAPORE, July 16 (Bernama) -- The Singapore Food Festival 2011 (SFF 2011)
has returned for the 18th consecutive time, offering food lovers both local and
tourists the opportunity to learn about the city state's multicultural heritage
and culinary diversity this time around.

Under the theme "Curry and Spices", this year's event which kicked off
yesterday evening, will allow visitors to take a closer at the republic's
best-loved curries and dishes and learn about their heritage and what goes into
the creation of their distinct flavours.

Organised by Single Point of Contact Pte Ltd (SPCC) in partnership with the
Indian Restaurants Associations of Singapore (IRAS) and Restaurant Association
of Singapore (RAS), the event which will on until July 24 is supported by the
Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

"Curries and spices are the essence of multi-ethnic cuisine, and over the
years, these flavours have combined into well-loved dishes that have evolved
together with our society and culture.

"Through experimentation and reinterpretations of curry and the use of
spices, we have arived at an interesting point in our culinary evolution," said
Andrew Phua, director of Precint Development at STB.

"In showcasing local dishes infused with spices, and curry variations, we
hope to take on a multi-sensory journey at our various ethnic precincts," he
said at the launch of the event here.

Precint's partners Kampung Glam and Little India have also joined in
the celebration of food.

Last year, visitors to Singapore spent about S$1.9 billion on food and
beverage, or about 10 per cent of total expenditure.

About 28 per cent SFF 2010 attendees were tourists, up from 26 per cent in
SFF 2009.

Visitors to the opening Friday reached a record high of 35,000. For
SFF 2010, there were 30,000 visitors.